Brushes for track and right of way



June 16, 1964 E. T. SEFFKER BRUSHES FOR TRACK AND RIGHT OF WAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 29. 1962 heats-Sheet 2 2 6 9 l 9 2 Vv a M d e l 1 F xr N )xk e r J a u [w 1 m e Z r w W (M .l. I z n I0 r k f, M w .H 0 [7 United States Patent 7 3,137,018 BRUSHES FUR TRACK AND RIGHT OF WAY Edward T. Selfker, Greendale, Wis., assignor to Nordberg Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin 1' Filed May 29, 1952, Ser. No. 198,622 9 Claims. (Cl. 15-55) This invention is directed to improvements in track working equipment, particularly track brushes or the like for use on railroad tracks.

A primary object of the invention is an improvement on the track brush shown in application Serial No. 29,605, filed May 17, 1960, now Patent No. 3,087,174, in the name of Henry H. Talboys, said improvement being in the nature of flexible paddles mounted on opposite sides of the rails for working against the base and flange of the rails. I

Other objects will appear in the ensuing specification, drawings and claims.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the following drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the machine taken from the right front side,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged front view illustrating the impeller and the associated paddles,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged end view illustrating the impeller blades and paddles, and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective illustrating the mounting arrangement for the paddles.

This invention is particularly concerned with improvements in a track brush such as that shown in the application of Henry H. Talboys, Serial No. 29,605, filed May 17, 1960. The details of the brush or sweeper are shown in said application and the present application will be directed specifically to the improvements, namely the paddles used for cleaning the top and flanges of the rails. The brush will only be sufliciently described herein for an understanding of the' present invention.

Considering FIGURE 1, the brush is made up primarily of three main units, a vehicle 10, an impeller 12 on the front of the vehicle, and a deflector or baflie 14 ahead of the impeller.

The vehicle 10, which may be self-propelled, includes a suitable framework and a seat for the operator. The vehicle may be mounted on flanged wheels 16 which ride on the rails. Mounted on the vehicle framework is a suitable engine 18, which may be a gasoline engine or the like. The engine 18 may drive a pump which is also positioned on the vehicle frame. The pump is effective to supply an operative fluid to all of the working parts on the sweeper. For example, the pump may be used to drive the vehicle and hence the impeller and deflector, as well as to raise and lower the impeller and deflector.

Turning specifically to the impeller, it may include a suitable framework which is pivoted, as at 20, on the vehicle, the pivot being in the form of stub shafts projecting outwardly from each end of a cross beam. By having the impeller pivotally mounted on the vehicle frame, the impeller may be lowered to an operating position and its height above the track may be adjusted. The drive for the impeller may be housed within a suitable guard or'the like 22. Within the guard 22 there may be mounted a chain or other flexible drive member which is used to rotate the impeller axle or shaft 24. The impeller shaft may be suitably mounted in bearings on each side side sections are indicated at 28. Each of the impeller- 3,137,l8 Patented June 16, 1964 "ice sections may be made up of a plurality, for example four, peripherally spaced radially extending blades 30, which may be solid, flexible, but resiliently stifl strips adjustably and removably connected to shaft 24 by bolts 32. The bolts 32 pass through slots 34 in the inner edge of the blades and, on one side, through a plate 36 welded or otherwise suitably secured to shaft 24 along its inner edge and, on the other side, through an angle or strip 38 which is not connected to the shaft 24. When the nuts on the bolts 32 are backed off, the blades may be adjusted radially to compensate for wear and for proper alignment. It is preferred that the blades be equally spaced circumferentially and that the blades in the outer sections 28 be generally aligned and between the blades in the center section 26 so that as theiimpeller rotates, the loadon the impeller, due to contact with the ballast and ties, will not be reduced all at once.

Each of the strips or blades 36 may be formed of a resilient stitfly flexible rubber material, preferably backed up by canvas or a fabric or textile mesh, possibly two to four mesh, on the rear side. The overall strip may be inch in thickness with the dimensionally stabilizing otherwise secured. The invention should not be limited to the blades shown and described herein, as other means may be used to sweep the ballast. What is particularly important is that the sweeping means be circumferentially or peripherally spaced and that they be radially and laterally extending.

The impeller framework designatedat 40 is raised and lowered about the pivots 20, asdescribed before. A suitable hydraulic cylinder or the like driven by the pump and motor combination described above, may be used in raising and lowering the impeller and the deflector 14 positioned ahead of it. The deflector 14 may ride on suitable flanged wheels 42 mounted on an axle 44. The deflector may include a frame indicated generally at 46 which supports a pair of center deflector plates 48. The deflector plates may come together in the shape of a V so that the ballast will be directedto opposite sides as it is thrown forward by the impeller or sweeper. On each side of the central plates 48 there may be positioned a removable deflector 50 having a lower flexible section 52. The deflectors 50 may be generally in alignment with thedeflector plates 48 and are also outwardly slanted to remove ballast from the general area of the tie bed as it is thrown forward by the impeller.

In operation the ballast will be propelled forwardly by the impeller and is deflected outwardly by the V- shaped divider or plates 48 and by the outward deflector plates 50. The deflector plates 50 and 48 are spaced apart a sufficient distance so that ballast may be directed through the openings between them.

All of the above structure is shown and described in detail in the above-mentioned application of Henry H. Talboys. The improvements comprising the present invention include a plurality of flexible somewhat stiff and resilient paddles 54 which are pivotally mounted between each pair of adjacent blades and on each side of the rails. The material forming the paddles 54 may be the same as the material forming the blades, although this is not necessary. In any event, it is desirable to have the forward or working section of the paddles, indicated at 56, formed of a resilient stiflly flexible rubber or the like. It is also desirable to have the back face of the paddles, indicated at 58, formed with a fabric or textile backing.

The paddles are particularly advantageous in cleaning the tops as well as the base and flanges of the rails. The paddles may have a bluntly pointed outer end 59 which extends outwardly from the impeller blades and in above as they rotate.

the rail head to sweep the rail flanges. As the impeller rotates the paddles first will move against the rails to clean the top and then the outward end 59 will move in underneath the rail top to clean off the baseand flanges. Preferably, there are paddles mounted at the outside of the center impeller section and 'at the insides of the two outward impeller sections so that the flanges on both sides of the rail as well as the rail top may be cleaned.

7 Each of the paddles may be mounted on a pin or rod 60 which is freely pivotable on a pair of spaced brackets 62. The brackets 62 may be suitably mounted to the impeller shaft or axle 24.

An angle or the like 64 extends along the front of each paddle and a similar angle 66 may extend along the back. These angles are mounted on pin 60 and are held together by suitable bolts or the like 68 which extend through the material of the paddle.

In operation, the paddles are freely pivotable about the pin 60 and will be carried by the impeller blades When a blade paddle has reached a position such that it is just about to begin sweeping ballast, the paddle it has been carrying may, because of its own weight, pivot ahead. However, the paddle by itself does not have any turning force and accordingly it will stop as soon as it contacts any ballast or other obstacle. It will then remain in this position until the blade coming behind it pushes it forward and causes it to sweep the ballast forwardly. Actually the paddle will only be stationary for a moment considering the speed of the impeller.

The use, operation'and function as follows:

This invention is concerned with improvements in a lightweight sweeper unit which is used with a jack and tamper in a track raising operation. particularly concerned with a paddle which is satisfactory for cleaning the top of the rail as well as the base and flanges of the rail. In operation, the impeller blades will sweep the excess ballast forwardly above the tops of the ties against the deflector plates. The deflector plates will direct the ballast outwardly away from the track bed. As the impellers move forward they will push the paddles forward with them. The paddles are used to clean the rail flanges and the top of the rail. They extend angularly inwardly toward the rail a distance greater than the inside edge of the blades and will reach the area inside of the rail tops and above the rail flanges.

The paddles have been described as being formed of a flexible rubber-like material. Such a material is satisfactory, although the invention should not be limited thereto. What is necessary is that the paddle be of sufficient stiffness for moving the ballast and yet be sulficiently flexible so that it can be bent by the rail. The paddles will be forced in and against the rail, to clean it, as the impeller rotates.

Although the invention has been described in conjunction with a sweeper of the type shown in the application of Henry H. Talboys, the particular paddle shown herein of the invention are The invention is 4% may be used on any type of sweeper or brush which cleans ballast off the rails and ties of a railroad track.

Whereas the preferred form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it should be realized that there are many modifications, substitutions and alterations thereto within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a sweeper for use on a railroad track and the like, a vehicle adapted to move along the track, a rotatable impeller on the vehicle spanning the rails and constructed to sweep ballast forwardly of the vehicle between the tie ends, said impeller including a plurality of peripherally spaced, radially extending flexible sweeping means adapted to perform a sweeping operation, and a plurality of radially dispersed flexible paddles pivotally attached to the impeller, said paddles extending axially from the impeller to a point outside the edge of the flexible sweeping means adjacent the rails.

2. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said paddles are mounted generallyat the axis of said impeller.

3. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that each of said paddles is pivotally mounted between adjacent peripherally spaced sweeping means, during rotation said sweeping means contacting said paddles and being effective to push said paddles against the base and flange of the rails.

4. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that each paddle is angularly disposed relative to one of radially extending peripherally spaced sweeping means.

5. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that there are paddles positioned between adjacent peripherally spaced sweeping means, at each side of each rail, a plurality of pairs of spaced brackets extending outwardly from the axis of said impeller between adjacent spaced sweeping means, each paddle being pivotally mounted be tween a pair of said brackets.

6. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said flexible paddles are formed of a rubber-like material.

7. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that each of said paddles is formed of a material having the general characteristics, as to flexibility and wear resistance, of rubber, and has a fabric backing on its trailing surface bonded integrally thereto.

8. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that the impeller is divided into three laterally aligned sections, a center section and two outside sections, with a gap between them, so that the impeller will span the rails with the center section eflectivebetween the rails and the outer sections effective on the tie ends, said flexible paddles being mounted on the impeller at the inner side of each outside section and on the outer sides of the center section.

9. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that each of said peripherally spaced and radially extending sweeping means includes solid flexible blades.

Kling June 5, 1956 Kershaw Mar. 22, 1960 

1. IN A SWEEPER FOR USE ON A RAILROAD TRACK AND THE LIKE, A VEHICLE ADAPTED TO MOVE ALONG THE TRACK, A ROTATABLE IMPELLER ON THE VEHICLE SPANNING THE RAILS AND CONSTRUCTED TO SWEEP BALLAST FORWARDLY OF THE VEHICLE BETWEEN THE TIE ENDS, SAID IMPELLER INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PERIPHERALLY SPACED, RADIALLY EXTENDING FLEXIBLE SWEEPING MEANS ADAPTED TO PERFORM A SWEEPING OPERATION, AND A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY DISPERSED FLEXIBLE PADDLES PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO THE IMPELLER, SAID PADDLES EXTENDING AXIALLY FROM THE IMPELLER TO A POINT OUTSIDE THE EDGE OF THE FLEXIBLE SWEEPING MEANS ADJACENT THE RAILS. 